KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — The water levels in several dams in four states have dropped due to lack of rain owing to the El Nino phenomenon, but they have not reached the critical stage.   

The water in the dams in Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Malacca can still meet the needs of the population.

In Perlis, the level at the Timah Tasoh Dam in Kangar was at 26.29 metres yesterday, down by 0.02 metres from Monday.

Perlis Department of Irrigation and Drainage director Abdul Najib Abdullah said the water would be able to meet domestic needs up to May even if the drought prolonged.

The dam, which could hold 13.21 million cubic metres of water, channelled 58,000 cubic metres per day to domestic consumers in Padang Besar, Wang Kelian and northern Kangar.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man said cloud-seeding over the dam area would be carried out by the Meteorological Department up to April 18.

In Kedah, the water at the Pedu, Muda and Ahning dams were at an overall 71.24 per cent or 1.07 million cubic metres.

The Muda Agriculture Development Authority said in a statement that the volume of water was 73.47 per cent at Pedu, 45.88 per cent at Muda and 76.72 per cent at Ahning.

In Perak, State Department of Irrigation and Drainage director Datuk Ir Abdul Razak Dahlan said the water level at the Bukit Merah Dam in Kerian was at 6.522 metres, still above the critical point of 6.1 metres.

State Public Amenities, Infrastructure, Energy and Water Committee chairman Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin said the water levels at the Kuning Dam in Taiping and Sultan Azlan Shah Dam in Ulu Kinta had not reached the critical point.

In Malacca, the state water regulatory body said in a statement that the water level at the Durian Tunggal Dam in Alor Gajah was at the warning point of 51.7 per cent.

Two other dams fared better, the Asahan Dam in Jasin at 85.8 per cent and the Jus Dam, also in Jasin, at 75.1 per cent. — Bernama